About the Department of Applied Psychology

Since 1989, the Department of Applied Psychology has been home to some of the best minds and boldest thinking in the fields of psychology and counseling. Unlike other psychology programs that are very focused on theory, simply for theory, Applied Psychology focuses on understanding, impacting on and informing lived experience in the specific settings and cultural contexts.

The Applied Psychology faculty do very solid, integrative, and theoretical work, by using varied methodologies but our interest is always in the question – how does this matter for real people? Individually, in the family context, and in communities in the U.S. and globally.

When you come to and come through any of our programs, you’re going to be the kind of scholar that can answer the question – how does culture manifest itself in relation to the questions that I’m asking. You’re going to be introduced to methodologies that will allow you to answer those questions in fine-tuned and thoughtful ways. You’re going to be able to apply that knowledge in a way that really transforms people’s lives globally.

Academic Programs

Undergraduate

The Department’s unique undergraduate program in Applied Psychology is designed to foster students’ knowledge of psychological theory, research, and practice through a wide variety of coursework and fieldwork. Students may also choose to participate in the Honors Program, conduct an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty member, or volunteer as research assistants on faculty research teams.

The Bachelor of Science Program in Applied Psychology is an interdisciplinary program designed to teach students to bridge psychological theory, research, and practice in a multicultural world. The program provides students with hands-on learning experiences that help them understand the range of work environments within the human services professions and the many ways that psychology and counseling are applied in both research and real-world settings—invaluable knowledge that helps our students make informed career decisions.

The Global Public Health/Applied Psychology major provides interdisciplinary training that bridges psychological theory, research, and practice with public health principles with the goal of improving health outcomes among diverse populations. The major links to the mission of the Department of Applied Psychology — to prepare students both to understand and to intervene in human development across contexts and cultures.

Master's

Our master’s programs offer students the opportunity to pursue professional preparation and study foundational to further graduate work in the fields of School Counseling, Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness, and Human Development and Social Intervention.

The MA Counseling Programs are accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) for the period of January 2015 through January 2025.

Counseling and Guidance in Schools (CNGU-MA) P-12 program prepares graduates for careers as school counselors. Graduates are also eligible for New York State certification as a guidance counselor (P-12).

Counseling and Guidance in Bilingual School Counselor (CNGU-MA) P-12 program prepares graduates for careers as school counselors and offers New York State certification as a guidance counselor (P-12) Bilingual school counselor; P-12 applicants must be proficient in the second language before applying.

Human Development and Social Intervention (HDSI) program offers a distinct curriculum that explicitly emphasizes the practical skills of research design and methods, grant writing, and grant management, and program development and evaluation from a community psychology perspective.

The LGBT Health, Education, and Social Services advanced certificate program is for individuals who want to work with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and/or to work on LGBT issues in educational, health, research, counseling, and community-based settings. Through required and elective coursework you will gain greater knowledge about this specific population and develop skills to provide more effective services to LGBT people and organizations serving this population.

Doctoral

At the doctoral level, students study to become scientific practitioners, researchers, and scholars in the fields of Counseling Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Psychology and Social Intervention.

Counseling Psychology is doctoral program is accredited by the American Psychological Association. This program prepares counseling psychologists for positions in colleges, community agencies, clinics, and hospitals. Students who complete the program are eligible to sit for the New York State Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology.

The Counseling Psychology Ph.D. degree is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Developmental Psychology is a doctoral program in applied studies in perceptual, cognitive, and affective development. Emphasis is on the development of methodological sophistication and familiarity and competence in the research process. Specialization areas include neuropsychology, general developmental psychology, perception, and cognition.

Psychology and Social Intervention doctoral program prepares action scientists for diverse roles in academia and social research who can understand, transform, and improve the contexts and systems in which humans develop across the lifespan. Has a strong emphasis on analysis and prevention of psychological, social, educational, and health problems, as well as on the promotion of well-being in these domains from a systems perspective, including organizational, community, and policy levels.

Research

In each program, students have the opportunity to spearhead their own research projects and contribute to the work of our award-winning research faculty through laboratory- and field-based studies.

Center for Counseling and Community Wellbeing (CCCW)

The Center is part of the teaching and training program in Counseling Psychology and provides services to meet the social, emotional, and behavioral health of the local community. We provide a range of services to children, adolescents, adults, and families. Visit the CCCW website.

Department Initiatives

The department spearheads a variety of unique initiatives and outreach activities that promote growth and change through three groups of initiatives: affordability, diversity, and professional development.Read more about our department programs.